OWN JOB
DEFINITION

What makes our approach better

Most providers access income protection claims against a person’s ability to do their own occupation. At Guardian we asses claims against policyholders’ ability to do their own job.

What might sound like a small difference in terminology makes a big difference to the quality of the cover and provides more certainty to clients of when their claim will be paid.

THAT’S WHY, AT GUARDIAN, WE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY

Own job is more specific and tailored to the exact role and responsibilities the person does for work. This means that if they’re unable to perform their specific job due to illness or injury, we’ll pay out. Own occupation covers a broader range of roles within a profession, which might include jobs with different responsibilities.

Within the same occupation, job roles can vary significantly. For example, a teacher’s occupation is teacher, but there are many different types of teachers.

Own job accounts for these differences, making sure if they can’t perform their specific role, they’re still protected.

With own job there is less ambiguity and is much more straightforward to assess when someone makes a claim. Our assessment is based on their actual job duties when they make a claim, rather than a general occupation category. This reduces the chances of us declining a claim because they can still perform a different role within their occupation. It also means we can pay the claim quicker and for longer – as we won’t stop paying them until they can return to their own job.